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Volume
4 Issue
10
July 24, 2007
Northern Strip Till Expo: Tillage
for Today & Tomorrow
Tuesday, August 14, 2007 --
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Jerry Nordick Farm, Rothsay, MN
Soybean
Aphid Update
Good News! Infestations in NW Minnesota and eastern North
Dakota are generally low., though populations
in SW MN are increasing. Increases to the
south typically signal the start of migration events that result in
winged soybean aphid moving into this region. It is now time to keep
notice of how aphid populations are developing in area fields and
respond accordingly.
University Researchers are Leading the
Charge Against Soybean Aphids
The days of soybean aphids feasting on Minnesota's soybean fields
may be numbered. University of Minnesota scientists are field
testing a beneficial insect--a stingless wasp also known as
Binodoxys communis--that kills soybean aphids. The U received
permission from the federal government to proceed with the research
and is the leading institution in the testing.
Fall
Establishment of Alfalfa
Planting new stands of alfalfa during the late summer is an
excellent way to establish alfalfa. Late summer alfalfa seeding is
not necessarily better than spring planting, but it does provide
another option that may better fit your work schedule or rotational
practices.
Honey
Bees and Colony Problems
It has been about six months now since the initial media frenzy
about Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), hit the nation’s headlines.
There has been lots of discussion, congressional testimony, and lots
of speculation about the potential causes and consequences of dying
honey bees.
Possible New Disease of Honey Bees ?
An internal parasite, described as a spore-forming protozoan
that infests the hind gut of adult bees, seems to have shifted hosts
from Eastern honey bee (Apis cerana) to European honey bee (A.
mellifera).
Do
Insecticide Seed Treatments Affect Bees ?
Insecticides have also been cited as possible agents responsible
for CCD. In particular, the class of seed treatments known as
chloronicotinyls which includes imidacloprid, thiomethoxam, and
clothianidin (e.g., Gaucho, Helix, and Poncho, respectively),
all of which have been used in canola production in the region.
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